Inspired by the ‘No development, no vote’ campaign in Kharghar, another group of residents, the Samvidhani People’s Organisation, is urging people in the area to cast their votes, but by choosing the ‘None of the above (NOTA)’ option. The group staged a protest near the statue of the three monkeys on Sion-Panvel Highway on Thursday. “We wish to send a message that we reject all political parties and demand leadership that is sensitive to the issues of the common people. We are not asked by the parties who should be given the ticket, so we choose the least harmful candidate. Choosing a relatively better candidate from the given lot is not a solution, and it’s not democracy,” advocate Viraj Patil, a founder member of the organisation, said.
The group complained of perennial problems in Kharghar, such as bad roads, inadequate water supply, irregular power supply, piling garbage, illegal encroachments of natural landscape, slow pace of Metro work, lack of a government hospital, pollution from Taloja MIDC, and lack of public toilets and gardens.
